Manchester attack: Britain raises terror threat level to 'critical'

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the country's terror threat level has been raised from "severe" to its highest level of "critical", meaning further attacks may be imminent.

The move on Tuesday night, came after investigators were unable to rule out whether Manchester bombing suspect Salman Abedi acted alone, BBC quoted May as saying.

Speaking after chairing the second meeting of the day of Britain's top-level security committee known as Cobra, May also confirmed the government had triggered "Operation Temperer", a long-standing emergency plan to put soldiers into key public locations to support armed police in protecting the public.

Members of the armed forces will thus be deployed across Britain under police command, and they would be seen at "big events" such as football matches and concerts.

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"The spirit of Manchester and the spirit of Britain is far mightier than the sick plots of depraved terrorists. That is why the terrorists will never win and we will prevail," she said.

On Monday night, at least 22 people were killed when a lone attacker detonated a homemade bomb inside the foyer at the Manchester Arena after a concert by US singer Ariana Grande had ended.

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This the third time that Britain had raised the threat level to critical. On August 10, 2006, the terror level was raised to critical after the government foiled a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners with liquid bombs.

The second time was on June 30, 2007, after two men who had tried to bomb a London nightclub, slammed an S.U.V. into entrance doors at Glasgow Airport.

IANS